Here is the next installment of my madness. Enjoy my little chickadees!

The torch flames leapt and danced across the emerald walls. Keahn stared emptily at them, unseeing. His mind twisted and squirmed with loathing, admiration, and desire.

"That green temptress has me spellbound," he thought. "She courses through my veins like fire. That damned has captured her heart and won her love. Yet, she still tortures me. A sideways glance, an accidental brush sets my body aflame. How I hate her for it! If Vidaya ever knew…"

A rustle of skirts startled him. A tall, blonde-haired woman entered the throne room. She seemed to float across the jade floor and into Keahn's arms. He was greeted with a deep, hungry kiss.

"I've missed you, love," she said in a low voice.

"I've missed you as well."

She ran her fingers through his hair. "Are you finished with your work?"

"It would appear not. Fiyero is adamant about saving his precious frog," Keahn sneered.

"Perhaps I could be of service."

"It's out of the question, Vidaya. You're supposed to be dead. Your death is my excuse to kill Elphaba."

"I'm tired of being trapped in this dreadful place!" Vidaya whined.

"Dreadful? This is the grandest place in all of Oz!"

"Not when you are unable to leave it. There is nothing to do here, and you are always away."

"As soon as I take care of business we will spend as much time together as you wish." Keahn kissed her forehead. Vidaya snuggled closer to him.

"I want our family to be together. I want Jiana to live here with us. She must have grown so much!"

"She has." Keahn gently moved Vidaya off his lap. "I must go now. I have to see if the Witch has died yet."

"You focus a lot of your energy on her. It makes me wonder about your intentions, Keahn," Vidaya said quietly.

Keahn could not face her. "You are imagining things, my dear wife."

"Am I?"

He didn't answer. He could only walk out of the throne room.

Vidaya exhaled slowly. She could sense Keahn drifting away. She knew it wasn't Elphaba's fault. Elphaba was completely in love with Fiyero. It was evident even back in Shiz, no matter how disaffected she pretended to be. Whenever Fiyero was around, Elphaba suddenly became very agitated and buried her nose in a book. Vidaya would catch her staring at him when he wasn't looking. She stared at her rose-colored hands folded in her lap. She had convinced Elphaba to talk to Fiyero. She knew Glinda would never be interested in someone like him. Glinda was too in love with herself. Vidaya and Elphaba had been good friends. She decided that she would have to stop Keahn. She couldn't let him kill her dear friend. She had to get to the Vinkus and fast!